Located on The Beach, and facing you as you drive from the ferry towards Beach Hill, this is the Monument to the 22 people, mostly miners or family members of miners, who were lost in the collision of the W. Garland and the Little Golden Dawn, Nov. 10, 1940.

Tragedy in The Tickle

On November 10, 1940 at about 5:30 p.m., the W. Garland, which was used as a passenger ferry between Portugal Cove and Bell Island, left Portugal Cove with twenty‑four passengers plus the captain and engineer on board. As it was a Sunday evening, most of the passengers were miners returning after spending the weekend at their homes around Conception Bay. The evening was dark but clear, with occasional snow flurries and a moderate wind from the northeast. The W. Garland did not have a passenger‑carrying license and was not equipped with life belts. A small life boat that was purchased with the vessel was not carried on it. Only the mast‑head light and a search light were working. Bulbs in the port and starboard lights had blown several days earlier. Substitute paraffin lights were available, but the crew did not understand how to install them and their attempts to do so had failed.

​​The motor vessel ​W. Garlandwas 18 tons burden and propelled by a 44 h.p. Diesel engine, which gave her a speed of 10 knots.

In this photo, she is submerged and dilapidated following the tragedy.

Photo is from the Captain Harry Stone Collection, Maritime History Archive, Memorial University.

At about 5:40 p.m., the Little Golden Dawn, another passenger ferry on the same route, left Bell Island with only the captain and engineer on board. This vessel was licensed to carry freight and passengers. There were life belts on board but no life boats. The captain observed the lights of the W. Garland approaching from some distance, but neglected to check its compass bearings at regular intervals. Both ferries had each other in clear view, unobstructed by snow flurries. About a quarter of a mile from Bell Island it became obvious that they were going to collide, but the captain of the Little Golden Dawn did not blast a warning because his sound signal was not in working order. Instead of pulling to starboard, which is recommended procedure, he pulled to port. At the same time, the captain of the W. Garland pulled to starboard and crashed into the starboard side of the Little Golden Dawn.

The Little Golden Dawn was 14 tons, equipped with a Diesel engine and capable of steaming 10 knots.

The engineer of the W. Garland, who was also the owner, was below in the cabin taking the fares when the collision occurred. While the passengers in the cabin all ran to get out, the owner shouted, “Take your time and see what happens.” One passenger responded with, “It is too late to take your time now. The whole head is gone out of her.” The stem went into the water quickly, and the passengers rushed for the back of the boat. One man got his pant leg caught in the wheel chain and block during the commotion. He broke the wheelhouse glass with his fist and turned the wheel a half‑turn towards him to free himself. He and the owner and two other passengers survived by holding onto debris and were eventually picked up by a rowboat from the Island, which was manned by three men, including Fred Snow, owner of the Little Golden Dawn.

It was less than four minutes from the time of the collision until the W. Garland sank. The Marine Court Inquiry into the disaster was told that her wood was rotten and she was unseaworthy. Twenty‑one passengers and the captain drowned. The Little Golden Dawn did not sink right away. Immediately after the collision, the engineer shut off the engine. Then he went back on deck and got hold of the stem of the W. Garland in an attempt to hold her in the wound of the LittleGolden Dawn. When this idea failed, he could not get the engine started again. He and the captain put on life belts and proceeded to pump the water that was entering the boat. About forty‑five minutes later, a motor boat towed them to shore, where the ferry quickly sank.

Most of the victims were known and are still remembered by Bell Islanders, as many of them boarded at the homes of residents. One non‑resident miner had a shack on the Island that he lived in during the week. Each weekend he went home to be with his family. Every Sunday when he returned, he would go to a neighbour’s house for a kettle of water. On the Sunday in question he did not show up. The neighbours became concerned and later learned that he had been among the victims.

The above information is from the Marine Court Inquiry into the Bell Island Disaster of 1940. Other accounts of the event talk of a sudden snow squall that may have obscured the two captains' line of vision.

**********The motor vessel W. Garland was 18 tons burden and propelled by a 44 h.p. Diesel engine, which gave her a speed of 10 knots. The Little Golden Dawn was 14 tons, equipped with a Diesel engine and capable of steaming 10 knots. Both boats were believed to have been going full speed at the time of the collision.

Four men from the W. Garland survived the tragedy. Two of them clung to an oil cask that floated off the deck and the other two clung to the cover of the wheel-house. These are the survivors from the W. Garland:

Captain and owner of the W. Garland, Norman Ash; Gerald Tucker of St. Philip's; James (age c.37) and John Quilty (age c.43) (brothers) of Horse Cove Line.

Following is a list of the victims as reported by Addison Bown in the Observer's Weekly of November 12, 1940. Of the 22 victims, all of whom were on the W. Garland, only 11 bodies were recovered. Those recovered are marked with an asterisk.

*Hector [Edgar?] Hibbs (age 47), Portugal Cove (He was working on Bell Island. His son, Leonard, also drowned.)Leonard Hibbs (age c.15) Portugal Cove (He was along for the ride, intending to return to Portugal Cove on the boat's next trip.)

Agnes Lawlor (age c.19) Horse Cove Line [now called St. Thomas, part of Paradise, CB]​Peter Lawlor ​(age c.39) Horse Cove Line (According to Addison Bown in the Observer's Weekly, Peter and Agnes were sister and brother, but the 1935 Census for St. Thomas has Peter Lawlor, age 34, with a 14-year-old daughter, Agnes.)

*Clarence LeDrew (age c.26), Memorial Street, Bell Island (He was a taxi driver.)*Inez Tucker (age c.25), Bridal Avenue, Bell Island (She was a secretary in the Main Office and was the only child of BillyTucker, who was Paymaster with DOSCO. Inez and Clarence LeDrew were engaged to be married in the near future. Local legend has it that when their bodies were recovered the day after the sinking, they were locked in an embrace.)

*James Miller, Portugal Cove (Son of William, who also drowned.)William Miller, Portugal Cove (Father of James, who also drowned. Only a few months before this accident, his wife and adaughter had both passed away.)

*Victor North, Finn Street, St. John's (He was a Private in the Nfld. Home Defence, stationed on Bell Island.)

Alex White, Mundy Pond (He was the brother of Elsie White, long-time secretary to the manager of DOSCO on Bell Island. He was returning to the Island from his parents' home in St. John's. Elsie would normally have spent the weekend there as well, but did not go this particular weekend.)